


Fairy Tale

by GE72



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Courtroom Drama, Gen, Police Procedural, Rape Investigation, Unrequited Love, murder investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 03:08:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18306956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GE72/pseuds/GE72
Summary: Benson and Stabler investigate the rape of a teenage girl by a popular student after a dance at her school. But what starts out as a "he said, she said" rape case, turns into a violent murder when an unrequited love comes to the surface.





	1. Chapter 1

_In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are part of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories…. _  
______________________________________________________________________

____

FEBRUARY 14  
STUART RESIDENCE  
88TH AVENUE  
MANHATTAN

Seventeen-year old Holly Stuart looked at herself in the full-length mirror. There she was, in a perfectly tailored. white lace, multi-layered formal dress. Her blonde hair was perfectly coiffed for the night.

“You look so beautiful,” her mother Helen said to her.

“Thanks, mom,” Holly replied. And she did at that. It was the Valentines’ Day dance at her school, St. Mark’s, and she wanted to be the belle of the ball that night.

“What time is your date going to pick you up?” Mrs. Stuart asked.

“He’ll be here at seven,” Holly replied. She again looked at herself in the mirror, smiling back at her reflection.

There was the sound of the house phone ringing. Mrs. Stuart answered it.

“Hello? … I’m sorry, but she’s kind of busy right now, getting ready for the dance…Do you have a date tonight? …. Oh, okay… Well, I’ll tell her so. Thanks.” Mrs. Stuart hung up the phone. 

“Who was that mom?” Holly asked.

“That was Jeff Wallace,” she replied. “I’m surprised he’s not going to the dance tonight. Everyone else I talked to, their son or daughter are going to the dance.”

Holly shrugged, though she kind of knew the answer.

Helen Stuart then asked, “Why didn’t you go out with Jeff?”

Holly turned to face her mother. “I told you,” she replied. “I wanted to go out with Trevor.”

“Still, it’s Jeff, and – “

“Mom, please,” Holly quickly said. “It’s all done.” She went back to looking at herself in the mirror. She smiled again.

There she was, Holly in a beautiful dress, looking like a princess and her Prince Charming coming to take her to the royal ball at the castle. Actually, it was the ballroom rented at the Excelsior Hotel on Central Park West.

Still, to Holly, it was a fairy tale about to come true.

Except it didn’t.

 

FEBRUARY 15  
12:30 AM  
CENTRAL PARK

Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson got the call just after midnight at the Special Victim Unit headquarters at the Sixteenth Precinct. The two had been slated to work the night shift up to six that morning.

Earlier, Stabler, a longtime detective with the New York City police and a decorated Marine veteran, had a Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife at a four star restaurant before going to work. His partner, Benson, had stayed at home, just watching the TV news. The two had different lives like night and day.

There was a nip in the February night air as Stabler and Benson got out of their unmarked car. They walked over to where the police cruiser had parked, where the officer was waiting.

“What do we have?” Benson asked the uniformed officer.

“Seventeen year old girl,” the officer replied. “She looked like a mess. We found her on the bench along the street. I asked her what was wrong and she started crying. My partner is consoling her right now.” He took a deep breath, and continued, “I’ve seen too many of these on the force. I knew what had happened. That’s why we called you.”

Stabler and Benson were New York City police detectives assigned to the Special Victims Unit, a branch of the police that investigated crimes that were sexual in nature, as in rapes, sex trafficking, prostitution, and sexual abuse against children. Both had been partnered for a long time, and had seen their share of rapists and murderers.

The two walked over to the bench. A female police officer was consoling the young woman in question. The woman was wearing a white formal dress, somewhat disheveled.

“How is she?” Stabler asked.

“Not good,” the female officer replied, as the girl was quietly sobbing.

“I’ll talk to her,” Benson said. She sat next to the young woman. “What’s your name?”

The young woman stopped crying long enough to reply, “Holly…Holly Stuart.”

“Do you mind telling me what happened?”

Holly looked up and over to Detective Benson.

All she said was, “He raped me.”

This was not the fairy tale she wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

The detectives took Holly Stuart back to the Special Victims Unit headquarters, based out of the Sixteenth Precinct in Manhattan. 

First, Benson took her to the ladies room, where she got out of her dress, and put on some New York City Police Department sweats. The dress was bagged for evidence to find some semen samples of her assailant. 

Then, they went to the conference room, where they gave her a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa to warm herself up.

There was a window in the conference room, that was actually a one way mirror. On the other side, their SVU commander, Don Cragen, watched as Stabler and Benson talked to Holly Stuart. Her parents had been notified and they were on their way to the precinct.

“Tell us what happened,” Stabler said. “Take your time.”

Holly was avoiding eye contact with both detectives. This was one story she obviously didn’t want to tell.

“It was the Valentine’s Day dance at our school,” she finally said. “He asked me out.”

“Who?” Benson asked.

“Trevor,” Holly replied. “Trevor Mannion.”

“A classmate?” Stabler asked.

Holly nodded. “He asked me out, and I said yes.” She fought back tears as she answered.

There was a long silence as she sipped on the cocoa, then Holly began to tell about what happened.

“He picked me up in his car at seven,” she said. “We went straight to the dance at our school. When I went inside, all the other kids looked at me. They were in awe of how I looked in my formal, and that we were together. Trevor is the coolest guy at St. Matthew’s School and other girls wanted to go out with him. But he wanted to go out with me.

“We were on the dance floor and I felt like a fairy tale princess,” she continued. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. It felt so unreal.”

Holly began to fight back tears again as both Stabler and Benson figured out what she was going to say next.

“Anyway, the dance ended at 11:30, and I got in his car and I thought he was going to take me home,” she said. “But we drove around a little bit and into the park, close to where you found me. I told him to take me home but he wanted to stay out a little more. We stopped in the park, and we just sat there for a bit. Again, I told him to take me home. He said the night wasn’t over yet.

“Before I could say anything, he was on top of me in the back of his car.” Her voice began to break and tears began to come out her eyes. “He said all the other girls did it with him, so should I. But I didn’t want to….I didn’t…” 

Finally, Holly broke down and began to cry. The incident was still fresh in her mind, but she wanted it to go away, as if it never happened. But it did happen, and it would never go away.

There was a rap on the window. Stabler got up and went out of the conference room and to where Cragen was on the other side of the mirror. The parents of Holly Stuart were with the captain.

“They just arrived,” Cragen said to Stabler. “This is Ron and Helen Stuart.”

“What the hell happened?” Ron Stuart demanded.

“Your daughter has been through a terrible ordeal,” Stabler said to them. “She needs to know this is not her fault.”

“She should have never gone out with that boy,” Helen Stuart said. “I told her she should have gone out with Jeff Wallace.”

“Who’s he?” Stabler asked.

“One of Holly’s friends from school,” Mrs. Stuart replied. “They’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Can we see Holly?” Ron Stuart asked.

Cragen nodded. Stabler led them to the conference room, where Holly was still crying and Benson was consoling her.

Holly looked up and saw her parents. “Mom! Dad!” she cried out as her parents went over to her.

“We’re here, honey,” her mother said. Benson got up and was about to leave the room with Stabler.

“Detective,” Ron Stuart said to them. Stabler and Benson looked at him. “I want that son of a bitch arrested.”

“We will,” Stabler said. They left the conference room as Holly’s parents gave her a consolable hug.

The detectives met with Cragen. “We have her dress to get any semen evidence for DNA,” he said.

“Do we have enough for an arrest?” Benson asked.

“I believe you do,” Cragen said. “I’ll call Novak and get a warrant.” He then said, “Arrest him at school on Monday.”

Stabler said, “I was thinking the same thing.”

_______________________________________________

MONDAY FEBRUARY 16  
ST. MATTHEW’S SCHOOL, MANHATTAN

The detectives got the arrest warrant from ADA Casey Novak on Monday morning. Half an hour later, Benson and Stabler pulled up to the St. Matthew’s School in their car.  
They went inside the administration office and asked to know where Trevor Mannion was. 

Trevor was coming out of his second period biology class when Stabler and Benson stopped him.

“Trevor Mannion?” Stabler asked.

“I am,” he replied.

Benson took out her handcuffs. “Trevor Mannion, we have a warrant for your arrest.” Stabler held up the warrant in front of Trevor to show him. “You’re being charged with rape in the first degree….”

The students in the hallway stopped as they saw one of their classmates being arrested. Trevor dropped his book bags before Benson handcuffed him.  
“This is crap!” Trevor exclaimed. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Tell that to the parents of the girl you raped,” Stabler said back.

Benson continued with the Miranda warning, as they led him away, in front of his fellow students of St. Mark’s. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney….”


	3. Chapter 3

Trevor Mannion was seventeen years old, but not wanting any statement he might say get thrown out of court, Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak erred on the side of caution and had detectives Stabler and Benson call his parents and lawyer. If he was eighteen, he would be an adult and his parents would not have to be notified. But since seventeen was a tricky age in terms of legality – Trevor Mannion could be tried as either a juvenile or as an adult – Novak thought it better to be safe than sorry.

Trevor was placed into an interrogation room and left there all alone. While he sat there waiting for parents and attorney to arrive, Stabler and Benson waited along with Novak. They didn’t want to wait, the detectives wanted to question and get a confession out of him.

“This is crap,” Stabler said. “We should be in there.”

“We go in there now without his lawyer,” Novak countered, “anything he says without his parents could get thrown out of court. I’m trying to think ahead and make sure we get a conviction.”

A uniformed officer came up to them, and informed them that Trevor Mannion’s parents and his attorney had arrived at the precinct. The detectives steeled themselves for what would be a blast of legal and parental bluster.

The parents walked into the squad room, their attorney close behind. Neither parent looked happy to be there; in fact, they were downright contemptuous.

“Where’s my son!” Mr. Mannion demanded, his voice rattling the squad room.

Cragen came out of his office, anticipating their arrival. “I’m Captain Cragen, your son is this way,” he said back politely to them, resisting the urge to yell back at his face. He led them to the interrogation room.

“Dad!” Trevor exclaimed, getting out of his chair. 

“Are you okay Trevor?” his mother asked, embracing her son. 

Casey Novak walked into the room, as Trevor replied to his mother that he was okay. The Mannion’s attorney, a silver haired gentleman in a three-piece gray suit, saw Novak enter.

“I’m Casey Novak with the district attorney’s office –” she began to say.

“We’re taking our son home right now!” Mr. Mannion quickly said.

“No, he’s been arrested for first degree rape,” Novak quickly countered.

“That’s crap!”

“He can talk now or wait until trial,” Novak said. 

“He’s not saying anything,” the Mannion’s attorney said.

“I didn’t rape her!” Trevor said abruptly. 

His father said, “Son, be quiet.”

“I didn’t rape her!” Trevor said again. “It was just sex!”

“That’s enough!” the lawyer ordered. Novak didn’t recognize the attorney, considering she knew most of the attorneys, upstanding and otherwise, who defended the various perverts and pedophiles in New York City. 

The Mannion’s attorney looked at Novak. “Did you question him without an attorney present?” he asked. 

“We did not,” Novak replied. “And you are?”

“Walter Latham, Esquire,” he replied, handing his business card to Novak. 

“Trevor is seventeen,” Novak said to him. “We chose to wait for your arrival with his parents.”

“Either charge him or let him go now,” he demanded.

“His arraignment will be tomorrow,” Novak said. She looked at Trevor. “You had your chance.”

Mrs. Mannion looked at Novak. “Who’s making this accusation against my son?” she demanded.

“It’s Holly!” Trevor quickly answered.

“She’s lying!” his mother added just as quickly.

Trevor insisted, “It was just sex, that’s all!”

“That’s enough!” Latham ordered again.

Novak repeated to the parents, “Your son will be arraigned tomorrow in court. Bail will be up to the judge.”

“We can afford it,” Mr. Mannion said.

With a hint of sarcasm, Novak replied, “No doubt you can.” She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a blue backed form. “This is a court order for your son’s car. It’s the crime scene and we want to process it.”

“Fine,” Latham said, taking the blue back out of Novak’s hand.

“You won’t find anything!” Trevor said. “I’m telling you, it was just sex!”

“Trevor, not another word!” his father snapped.

A uniformed officer escorted Trevor Mannion to a holding cell, while his parents and Latham talked amongst themselves.

Novak went over to Benson, Stabler, and Cragen.

“This could get ugly,” Novak said. “I see a ‘he said, she said’ trial in our future.”

“I’ve seen too many of those,” Benson said. “And they don’t end well, even with the conviction.”

“We can just hope and pray,” Novak said.

 

FEBRUARY 17  
NEW YORK CITY POLICE CRIME LAB

The crime lab tech looked up from his microscope to talk with the detectives.

“We checked the semen stains on your victim’s dress against what we found in the car,” the crime lab tech said to detectives Benson and Stabler. “And that car was a sweet ride. Late model Mustang, midnight blue paint job, V-6 engine – “

“And what?” asked Stabler.

“It’s a match,” the tech said. “The stains in the car were in the back seat.”

“Figures,” Benson said. “Can’t get lucky in the front seat.”

“Especially with the gearshift in the way,” Stabler added.

“We also found some scratches on the passenger seat head rest,” the tech added. “Apparently, your victim resisted being taken in the back seat, or she was clawing at it during the rape. We also found white threads that match the victim’s dress.”

“There goes Trevor’s consent defense,” Benson said, as the tech handed her the crime lab report.

“I’ll believe it when he gets convicted,” Stabler said. Stabler, as well as Benson had seen a number of rapes cases, too many, go down the drain despite overwhelming evidence.

They hoped this wasn’t one of those times.


	4. Chapter 4

“The bastard made bail,” Ron Stuart said disgustedly. “He’s back on the street, and worse, he’s back in school.”

The detectives were sitting in the living room of the Stuart house. It was one day after Trevor Mannion was arraigned on charges of first degree rape. He spent the night at Rikers before his bail came through, courtesy of his parents.

“I’m not letting my daughter back into that school as long as he’s there,” Ron Stuart said. 

“We understand your frustration,” Stabler said. “We’re still building the case against him.”

“How could he do this to our daughter?” Helen Stuart asked. “He seemed like such a good person.”

“They all do,” her husband replied.

“How’s Holly doing?” Benson asked.

“She’s upstairs in her bedroom,” her mother replied. “She’s holding up. She hasn’t been back to school. We asked her teachers for her schoolwork so she could do it here. This way, Holly won’t have to…..” Benson and Stabler could finish the sentence for her. Holly won’t have to look at him.

“I heard all these things about Trevor,” Helen Stuart continued. “He was from a good family, so polite, everyone spoke well of him.”

“They’re all like that,” Ron Stuart said.

“We’re planning on talking to some of the students at St. Matthew’s,” Benson said to them. “Do you know anyone who we could talk to in particular?”

“You could ask Holly which ones you can talk to,” Helen Stuart said.

The detectives followed Helen Stuart upstairs to her daughter’s bedroom. 

Inside, Holly Stuart was sitting up on her bed. She was reading a history textbook but the detectives could see she wasn’t really into studying.

“Hi Holly,” Benson said. “How are you doing?”

Holly looked over to her and slowly nodded. “I’m okay,” she replied.

“How are you holding up?” Stabler asked.

Again, Holly nodded. It was obvious she didn’t feel like talking.

“We’re going to be talking to your friends at school,” Benson said. “Is there anyone you’d like us to talk to, let them know how you’re doing?”

Holly shrugged. “You can talk to Kimberly Thornton,” she said quietly. “She can tell you the others.”

Holly’s cell phone rang. She ignored it.

“Don’t you want to answer it?” Benson asked.

Helen Stuart glanced at the phone. “It’s Jeff Wallace,” she replied. “You should talk to him.”

“I don’t feel like talking to anyone right now,” she replied.

“But it’s Jeff,” her mother said. 

She suddenly exclaimed, “MOM! Please!” Holly turned away. Helen Stuart led the detectives out of the bedroom and back into the hallway.

“Holly and Jeff have known each other since the first grade,” Helen Stuart said. “He actually asked Holly out to the dance.”

“Really?” Stabler said.

“I don’t know why she chose not to go out with Jeff,” Helen Stuart said. “Maybe you can ask him.”

“We will,” Benson said.

 

ST. MATTHEW’S SCHOOL  
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18

Francis Collier, the principal at St. Matthew’s, sat back in his chair behind his desk, trying to be cordial at the sight of the detectives. He had white hair and wore a nicely tailored suit, to begat his air of being a private school principal.

“When you arrested Trevor Mannion, it caused quite a buzz amongst the students,” he said to Benson and Stabler. “From what I’ve been hearing, the students believe Trevor is innocent of these rape charges.”

“What do they have to say about Holly Stuart?” Benson asked.

“There’s a lot of sympathy for her,” Collier replied, “but they think she’s – “

Stabler thought, _If he says she’s lying, I’m going to beat the living crap out of him. ___

____

“ – confused.”

____

Stabler still wanted to hit him, but kept it in check. “Confused?” he asked.

____

“Look, I wasn’t there,” Collier said, “so I don’t know what happened or who’s telling the truth. All I know this whole situation has the students talking and not in a good way, and their parents are very concerned. Some of them make donations to our school, and the bad publicity from this could affect that.”

____

“You’re worried about bad publicity?” Stabler said. “A girl gets raped and she can’t show up at school because her assailant is still walking the halls, and you’re worried about financial contributions to the school?”

____

“Sorry if that came off cold hearted,” Collier said. “I know you have a job to do, but I also have the welfare of the school to think of.”

____

“Fine,” Benson said. “We’d like to talk to some of the students who were at the dance last Saturday. Specifically, Kimberly Thornton.”

____

“I’ll make her available,” Collier said.

____

“Who was chaperoning the dance?” Stabler asked.

____

“Some parents,” Collier replied. “There were a couple of teachers as well. I’ll give you a list.”

____

A couple of minutes later, the principal handed them a list of the chaperones at the dance. The detectives thanked him.

____

__________________________________________

____

Benson and Stabler met with Kimberly Thornton in a conference room in the administration wing of St. Matthew’s. It was during the lunch hour at school. Kimberly was a senior, seventeen years old, medium length blonde hair and blue eyes, and a warm, polite smile that could open a door and melt an iceberg.

____

“Holly’s one of my best friends,” Kimberly said to them. “I don’t know what happened that night.”

____

“Tell us what you do know,” Benson said.

____

Kimberly said, “Well, she came in to the ballroom – our dance was at the Riverton Hall near Central Park – with Trevor. We all said our hi’s to each other and our friends. Aside from that, we all danced. That was all.”

____

“So, nothing out of the ordinary,” asked Stabler.

____

“He didn’t tell me that he was going to rape her after the dance, if that’s what you mean,” Kim replied. “Look, I’m just as shocked as everyone here. I don’t believe Trevor raped her, and if he did, I can’t believe that he did.” 

____

“So as far you know, this is the first time you have heard of something like this happening here at St. Mark’s?” Benson asked.

____

Kim said, “A lot of girls have gone out on dates with Trevor. Even I went on a couple of dates with him. He’s a great guy.”

____

“And on those dates, he didn’t try to force himself on you?” Benson asked.

____

Kim looked around nervously, then said to the detectives, “Actually, we did have sex.”

____

Both Benson and Stabler just looked at her. Finally, Stabler said, “That’s it?”

____

Kim nodded. “I’m not ashamed of it, but that’s all it was. Sex. He didn’t force himself on me.” She then added, “He probably did it with some of the other girls as well. If he did, they never said anything about being raped.” 

____

“Have you talked to Holly since the dance?” Benson asked.

____

“A couple of times,” Kim replied. “I told her I was sorry about what happened. The second time I talked to her, I could hear her mom get real ticked off because it was me and she told Holly to hang up.”

____

“Why doesn’t she like you?” Stabler asked.

____

“Beats me.”

____

“Do you know a fellow student named Jeff Wallace?” Benson asked.

____

"I do,” Kim replied. 

____

“How well do you know him?”

____

“Not much. I have a class with him. He keeps mostly to himself. He’s not a bad person.”

____

“We heard that Jeff asked Holly out to the dance first,” Stabler said.

____

“I know,” Kim said. “Both Jeff and Trevor asked her out the same day. She asked me some advice on who to choose. I told her go with her feelings but added that she would be better off with Trevor. She chose Trevor but I think she was going to do so anyway.”

____

Stabler and Benson nodded at each other. This was all they were going to get, but also what they only needed.

____

“Thanks for your time,” Benson said to Kim. “If we need anything else, we’ll be in touch.”

____


	5. Chapter 5

Benson found a couple of more girls, Carrie Wernofsky and Laura Patnoe, who had attended the dance at St. Matthew’s. They were talking in the main hallway of the school.

The two of them had seen Holly and Trevor dancing the night away on Saturday and he showed no signs of being overly possessive of her, much less any indicators of what he planned to do to her later that night.

“Did either one of you go out on a date with him before?” Benson asked.

“We have,” Carrie said. 

“And nothing happened?”

Both girls nodded. “Trevor took me out to a movie,” Laura said. “That’s it. He was a gentleman.”

“And he never tried to force himself on either of you?”

“He didn’t rape me,” Carrie replied, “if that’s what you’re asking.”

Benson could see she wasn’t going to get anymore out of them. She thanked them and let them go back to class.

“Trevor Mannion is a gentleman,” Benson said to Stabler. “They’re all saying that.”

“But some of them you don't believe,” Stabler guessed.

“I’m thinking some of those girls who went on dates with Trevor put out, no questions asked. It was just sex to them. Then Trevor goes out on a date with Holly, expects to get some, Holly didn’t want to, and Trevor didn’t like being told no.”

“Trevor always got some, so why should Holly be any different,” Stabler said. “Except Holly said no, and Trevor lost it.”

“Do you think Holly knew Trevor wanted her to have sex with him like all the other girls?”

“I don’t think she did. If that’s so, then that strengthens Novak’s case.”

The bell rang and the hallway filled up with students as if it was rush hour at a Manhattan subway stop under the city, going from one classroom to the next, though it wasn’t as loud. 

Benson and Stabler headed down the main hallway of St. Matthew’s, only to hear something to break up the cacophony of the hallway rush. The sound of someone being slammed against a locker, followed by someone else yelling “You son of a bitch!”

The two detectives headed to where the noise was coming from. They saw a group of students standing in a cluster, looking at what appeared to be a fight.

“Move aside!” Stabler shouted as he pushed his way past the throng of students, with Benson close behind. 

When the detectives got to the front of the crowd, it was confirmed. Two students were in the clinch, pressed up against the locker, fighting to break free from each other’s grasp so they could beat each other up.

“That’s it! Break it up!” Stabler grabbed one of the combatants and pulled him off the other.

Principal Collier pushed his way up front as well. “Thanks Detective,” he said, seeing that the fight had been broken up.

Benson looked at the other student in the fight. It was Trevor Mannion.

“What’s the matter,” she said to him. “Assaulting a girl wasn’t enough?”

“He started it!” Trevor snapped.

Stabler looked at the person he had pulled off of Trevor. He was the same age, with brown hair and a scowl on his face that needed work to be taken seriously.

“Who are you?” Stabler demanded.

“Just some loser!” Trevor quickly said.

Stabler turned to Trevor. “Please, give me an excuse to arrest you again!” he snapped.

“This is Jeff Wallace,” Collier said. He looked at the gathering of students. “Okay, show’s over! Everyone, get to class!”

The students went on their way, as Stabler and Benson led Jeff Wallace to the administrative office and sat him down in the conference room.

“Are you going to arrest me?” Jeff Wallace asked.

“No,” Stabler replied. “Should we?”

“What was that all about?” Benson asked.

“He was talking about Holly Stuart,” replied Jeff. 

“What exactly did he say?” Stabler asked.

“Just that they had sex, and he didn’t rape her. I overheard him, so I told him that’s load of crap. Then I said to him ‘You raped her and you know it’. He denied it again. That’s when we started fighting.”

“You’re defending her honor,” Stabler said. “That’s good.”

“Did he say anything else?” Benson asked.

“No, but there’s been lots of talk,” Jeff replied. “People are upset at the Stuart family because Holly accused Trevor of rape, and everyone’s taking Trevor’s side. The kids here at school are on Trevor’s side too. They think Holly’s making it up.”

“And you don’t believe them?”

“I seem to be the only one on her side.”

“Have you talked to her since then?” Benson asked.

“I’ve tried calling her, left her a couple of messages. Even texted her. I haven’t heard back from her.” Jeff shook his head. “I wonder why she doesn’t want to talk to me. I’m trying to be a good friend. I want to be there for her.”

“She’s been through a very bad ordeal,” Stabler said. “She needs time to heal, get herself back together.”

“We heard that you asked her out first,” Benson said.

“I did,” Jeff replied. “She said she would think about it. Then Trevor asked her out and she said yes to him.”

Timing, Stabler thought.

“Holly will talk to you when she’s ready,” Benson said. “Just give her some time, all right?”

Jeff reluctantly nodded. Benson and Stabler left him in the conference room. Collier was outside, waiting.

“Thanks for your intervention,” he said. “But you know I have to discipline him.”

“We understand,” Stabler said. That said, the detectives said their goodbyes and left St. Mark’s.

 

OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY CASEY NOVAK  
FEBRUARY 24

Casey Novak asked Holly Stuart, “Did you know that other girls in school had dated Trevor?”

Holly replied, “Yes.”

“Did you hear about these girls having sex with him on their dates?”

“No.”

“Did you expect to have sex with him on your date?”

“No.”

“Did he tell you he wanted to have sex with you?”

“No.” Then Holly said, “He just threw himself at me.”

Novak and Holly, as well as Holly’s parents were in Novak’s office at Foley Square. Novak was preparing Holly for the upcoming trial. The trial date had been set for sometime in April.

“Why are you asking her these questions?” asked Ron Stuart.

Novak replied, “This is to prepare her for what the defense might throw at her. The defense will most likely say she willingly had sex with Trevor then regretted it, thus her accusation. The defense will also try to convince the jury that she is making the whole thing up –“

“That’s crap!” Stuart snapped.

“Which is why we have to prepare for such an accusation,” Novak quickly said. “We need to show the jury that just because other girls had sex with Trevor, doesn’t give him the right to assault your daughter. No still means no, even if other girls said yes to him.”

“Will you be calling these girls to testify for the prosecution?” Helen Stuart asked.

Novak replied, “These girls will probably be testifying for the defense, some saying they gave it up willingly, or they never did it with him because he didn’t ask.” Novak looked at Holly. “Would you be willing to take the stand?”

Holly looked over to her parents, then slowly nodded. “I can.”

“I probably will call you to the stand,” Novak said. “But I’ll try not to.”

They discussed more of what would be brought up for the trial, and the strategy before the Stuarts left.

Later, Novak went over to the Special Victims Unit headquarters.

“I talked with the Stuarts about the trial,” she said to Benson and Stabler.

“How are they feeling?” Stabler asked.

“They’re feeling unsure, and frankly, so am I. Like I said, this is a ‘he said, she said’ trial. It could go either way, no matter what happens.”


	6. Chapter 6

APRIL 26  
NEW YORK SUPERIOR COURT  
PART 45

The trial of The State of New York vs. Trevor Mannion was underway.

Judge Andrea Eisley was presiding over the case. ADA Casey Novak presented the prosecution’s case, saying that Trevor Mannion raped Holly Stuart because he expected to have sex with her after the Valentine’s Day Dance at their school. When she refused, he forcibly raped her and just left her there in Central Park after he was done with her.

Walter Latham presented the case for the defense. Trevor Mannion went on a date with Holly Stuart and had consensual sex with her afterwards. Latham said it was a case of two teenagers having sex, and that Holly’s rape accusation was just remorse.

The prosecution presented evidence of the rape, with semen from the back seat of Mannion’s car from the night in question found by the forensics lab. They also had evidence of threads from Holly’s dress in the backseat, from when Mannion forced his way onto, and eventually, into her.

Amongst the crowd inside the courtroom, full to capacity, was Holly Stuart’s parents, as well as Detectives Benson and Stabler. The parents of some of the St. Mark’s students at the dance were also there as well.

Novak called one of the chaperones at the dance to the witness stand. It was one of the parents, Alicia Burwell; her daughter was at the dance as well. She was sworn in and took the witness stand.

“Did you see Trevor Mannion at the dance?” Novak asked her.

“I did,” Mrs. Burwell replied.

“How did he look?” 

“He looked very handsome in his tuxedo.”

“What about his date, Holly Stuart?”

“She looked beautiful.”

“Together, how did they seem?"

“They seemed fine. They looked very happy together.”

“Did Trevor seem possessive of Holly? As in, he didn’t want anyone else talking to her?”

“No. She talked to some of her friends at the dance. She was very happy.”

“Have you seen or met Trevor before the Valentine’s Dance?”

“No.”

“What do you know about him?”

“He’s nice, well mannered, from a good family?”

Novak asked, “Do you think he raped Holly Stuart?”

Latham, the defense attorney, jumped out of his seat, exclaiming, “Objection! Calls for speculation.”

The judge said, “Overruled.”

“I don’t think he did,” Mrs. Burwell replied. “But if he did, I think he should pay for it. I have a daughter and I don’t want her to be…hurt like that.”

Novak sat down, as Latham got up to cross examine her.

He said, “You said you don’t think the defendant committed rape. Why is that?”

Novak didn’t object, because she opened the door to the speculation.

“He comes from a respectable family, he’s well mannered,” Mrs. Burwell replied. “It’s just an opinion.”

“That’s all.”

__________________________________

The trial took a brief recess for lunch. The participants were out in the hallway.

“So far, so good,” Novak told the detectives.

They looked over at the defendant, Trevor, and his parents and lawyer. They were on a bench, talking amongst themselves.

“Want to be a fly on the wall near them?” Benson asked.

“And have the case thrown out on a technicality like that?” Novak responded. “No thanks.”

They all glanced over at the Stuarts. They were another bench, as the parents were trying to comfort their daughter. The trial, though early, was taking a little bit of a toll already.

“I may have to put her on the stand,” Novak said, “so the jury knows what she went through.”

Someone came through the hallway towards the Stuarts. It was Jeff Wallace. Benson, Stabler, and Novak, watched as he went over to them and said hello. The parents returned his greetings but apparently not Holly. The parents tried to get her to acknowledge Jeff but she wouldn’t. Holly tried to get up, but Mrs. Stuart made her sit down again. Jeff said something to her, but Holly just looked away. Then Jeff said something more, being more animated than before. Holly was nervously glancing towards the Mannions, before Mrs. Stuart forced her to keep her attention on Jeff.

“Does she look nervous to you?” Stabler asked Novak.

“No more than the last victim I put on the stand,” she replied.  
\  
Jeff was still trying to talk to Holly, and Holly was finally saying something back, but doing so reluctantly. Benson approached them casually.

“ – just concerned about you Holly,” Jeff was saying, “is that so wrong?”

“I know you mean well Jeff,” Holly said back. “I just need to deal with it myself.”

“You can’t deal with it yourself,” Mrs. Stuart said to Holly. “You need all of us.”

“Are you all okay?” Benson asked them.

The Stuarts and Jeff Wallace looked over to the SVU detective. “We’re all right,” Mr. Stuart said. 

Mrs. Stuart said, “Jeff came by to see what was going on, and to see Holly.”

Benson looked at Holly. She seemed okay, but was uneasy around Jeff. Jeff, on the other hand, was very concerned about Holly’s well being, as any friend should be. But it seemed like Holly didn’t want Jeff to be concerned about her, but given the alternative, it was what her parents wanted.

“I’ll be here for moral support,” Jeff said to her. 

“Thanks, Jeff,” Mrs. Stuart said. “We appreciate that.” Jeff nodded.

Benson went back over to Stabler and Novak. As she did, Benson glanced over to the Mannions at the other side of the hall. They were still discussing strategy but Trevor had peaked over to where Holly was. When he saw Jeff with them, he looked as if he didn’t particularly didn’t like it.

_______________________________________

 

After the recess, Holly Stuart took the stand. Novak had prepped her in the days leading up to the trial. In the gallery, Benson and Stabler took their seats. The Stuart family was a row back, as Jeff Wallace sat with them.

Novak asked her, “How well did you know Trevor Mannion?”

Holly replied, “We go to school at St. Matthew’s. We have…had…a class together. Biology.”

“Did you two grow up together?”

“No. I didn’t meet him until our freshman year.”

“Did you socialize much?”

“Off and on.”

“Did you want to go out on a date with him before the Valentine’s Day Dance?”

“I did but he didn’t ask me out.”

Novak said, “So, the Valentine’s Dance was the first time he asked you out?”

“Yes, it was,” Holly replied.

“Did you know of the other girls he asked out?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ask them about how their dates with the defendant went?”

“I did. They said they had a great time with him.”

“Did he give any indication he wanted to have sex with you?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Novak asked, “After the dance, what happened?”

“After the dance, we got into his car and I thought he was going to drive me home,” Holly said. “We drove around for a while, then we stopped inside Central Park.” She began to waver but kept on, describing what had transpired that sad night that was supposed to have a fairy tale ending for a teenaged girl dressed as a princess. 

“He leaned over and kissed me,” she continued. “I thought it was nice, but then he kissed me again, only harder. I told him to stop and take me home. He then said the night’s not over. Before I know it, he’s forced me into the back seat.” She held back her sobs as she kept on going. “He said all the other girls did it with him, why should I be any different. I kept telling him no, but….but…” Holly finally broke down on tears. 

Novak said, “Your honor, a moment.”

The judge nodded and said, “Granted.”

Novak glanced over at the defendant’s table. Trevor Mannion was saying something to his lawyer, Walter Latham, Esq.

Holly finally composed herself. 

Novak asked, “Did he say or do anything when he was done?”

“He did,” Holly replied. “He said I was better off with him than anyone else. He said that I should be glad I went out with him instead of anyone else.”

Novak looked over at the defense table. Trevor Mannion was silent but doing a slow burn. 

She then looked over at the Stuarts, sitting behind Benson and Stabler. Ron Stuart was doing a slow burn as well. But Jeff Wallace wasn’t doing a slow burn. He looked like he wanted to go all Mount Vesuvius on someone, preferably Trevor.

“Your witness,” Novak said to the defense. Walter Latham, Esq. got up from the table and walked over to the witness stand.

Latham asked her, “You said lots of girls had gone out with my client, is that so?”

“Yes.”

“And did you want to be one of those girls?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“Why is that?”

“Apparently, all the girls thought he was cute, popular.”

“Basically, one of those girls.”

“Yes.”

“And they all had sex with him, right?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“And none of them were raped.”

Novak stood up at the prosecution table. “Is there a question here?”

“Defense wants to know why,” Latham said, “if all these other girls at their school had consensual sex with my client, why is she the only one claiming she got raped?”

Novak quickly said, “Objection, your honor!”

Judge Eisley angrily looked at Latham. “Watch your step!” he warned.

Latham asked Holly again, “If all those other girls had sex with him, why are you the only one who is saying he raped you?”

“I don’t know!” Holly replied. “He just did!”

“Your honor!” Novak said.

“What do you hope to gain from saying he raped you?” Latham demanded.

“Objection!” Novak was much louder this time.

“That’s all, your honor,” Latham said, as went back to the defendant’s table and sat down.

________________________________________

“He didn’t call her a liar,” Novak said to the detectives. “We can be grateful for that.” They were out in the main foyer of the courthouse. The judge had ended the trial for the day. “Still, I don’t like the looks of this. This could blow up in any way, shape, or form.”

“Tomorrow’s another day,” Benson said.

“Uh, oh, trouble,” Stabler said, noticing something in the distance. They all looked where he was looking over.

There was Holly Stuart in a heated discussion with Kimberly Thornton. The detectives began to walk towards them. But someone else got there first.

Jeff Wallace grabbed Kimberly and shoved her aside, away from Holly. Before Kim could say anything else, Jeff shoved her some more.

“ – the hell away from her!” Jeff yelled at Kimberly. “This is all your damn fault!”

“Jeff! Stop!” Holly pleaded.

“You told that jerk to rape her, didn’t you!” Jeff accused Kimberly.

“Are you out of your mind!?” Kimberly said back. 

“That’s enough!” Stabler said, getting between Jeff and Kimberly. He looked at Jeff. “Get her out of here,” he said to Jeff.

“I will,” Jeff said back. He took Holly by the hand. “Let’s go.”

Holly pulled her hand back. “No, Jeff, please. I can do this myself.”

“It’s okay Holly,” Jeff said, again taking her by the hand. “Let’s go.” He led her away, presumably to go back to her parents.

After they walked off, Stabler and Benson turned their attention to Kimberly. “What are you doing here?” Benson asked.

“I just wanted to see how she was doing, that’s all,” Kimberly said.

“What did you say to Holly?” 

“I was asking how she was, and you saw what happened. Jeff shoved me away from her. He’s been all defensive about her ever since….you know.”

Benson and Stabler just looked at her. Apparently, she had tying to appease both sides, but it wasn’t working.

“Go home,” Benson said to her. “Just keep away from her for now.”

“She’s my friend!” Kimberly insisted.

“In Jeff’s eyes, you’re the enemy,” Stabler said. “Just go home, give Holly some space.”

Kimberly nodded. She turned around and left.

A couple of minutes later, Benson and Stabler were out on the courthouse steps. They saw Holly and her parents walking away down the street. Still on the steps, the Mannions, along with Trevor, and their attorney were talking as well, but soon also were headed off, in the opposite direction.

_________________________________________________________

The sound of the phone woke Stabler out of a sound sleep. It was close to midnight at his residence in Queens.

He picked the phone up on the third ring, as his wife Kathy, also slowly woke up.

It was Captain Cragen.

“Elliott, you better get over here to the Mannion residence.”

“What happened?” Stabler asked as he shook himself awake.

“The trial might be over. Someone just shot gunned the Mannions.”


	7. Chapter 7

APRIL 27  
MANNION RESIDENCE  
CENTRAL PARK WEST  
12:35 a.m.

The street in front of the Mannion brownstone residence was illuminated in red, white, and blue, the colors of the sirens of the various police cruisers and ambulances flashing. It would’ve been patriotic if not for the brutal murders that had brought them there.

Stabler parked his car at the edge of the throng, then made his way through the crowd of curious onlookers to the yellow police tape. He showed his badge to the officers at the scene and made his way past the tape to the house. There, Captain Cragen and Benson were waiting in front of the house.

“What happened?” Stabler asked.

“From what we can gather,” Cragen said, “the whole block was awakened by some shotgun blasts. Some say four, others five, six, maybe more.”

“One person said he saw someone running from the house,” Benson added. “Another person corroborated that, then said she saw someone else coming out. Except this person had some kind of weapon in his hand. That was probably our shooter.”

The captain led them up the stairs to the brownstone’s entrance. He opened the door as a crime scene technician came out of the building.

“I hope you digested your dinner already,” he said as he exited. That didn’t sound too hopeful of what they would find.

Benson, Stabler, and Cragen entered the house, going directly to the living room. Inside, Dr. Melinda Warner from the New York Medical Examiner’s office, standing over two corpses on the floor, and another slumped on a sofa, all covered up by sheets.

“Good evening, or should I say, good morning,” she said to them. 

“I don’t see anything good here,” Stabler said.

“You’d be correct,” Warner said. She pointed at two of the draped bodies. “That’s Mr. Mannion, and his wife over there.” One of the bodies she pointed at was on the sofa. “The husband got it standing up. The wife was also standing up and fell on the sofa after she was shot.”

Stabler walked over to third body. “Is this Trevor?”

“No, victim was in his mid fifties,” Warner replied.

“That would be Walter Latham, Esquire,” Benson replied.

Stabler knelt down and lifted up the sheet. Even though he had seen his share of dead bodies who had been killed in a variety of ways, both as a policeman and a Marine, what he saw made his insides just a little queasy.

He asked, “What happened to his head?”

“Latham was shot, fell to the floor, then took another blast point blank,” Warner said. “Looks like the shotgun was placed at the base of the neck.” She pointed at a far wall. “Some of his head is over there.”

A splattering of blood and matter was on the lower base of the wall. A crime scene tech was making note of it, while obviously trying to keep the contents of his stomach from coming out.

Stabler got up from the floor and went over to Benson and Cragen. “If Trevor didn’t get killed,” asked Stabler, “then where is he?”

“He was probably the one seen running from the house,” Benson said, “being followed by our man with the shotgun.”

“So, someone got upset at the Mannions, got a shotgun, and went after Trevor,” Cragen said. “His parents and lawyer got in the way.”

“But did how did he get in?” Benson asked. “I doubt the Mannions would have opened the door to a guy with a shotgun.”

“Unless they didn’t see the shotgun until one of them opened the door,” Stabler answered.

Another crime scene tech called out from the kitchen “Hey over here!”

Benson, Stabler, and Cragen went over to kitchen area of the brownstone. The tech was standing next to the door, already opened, that led to the back. There was a window on the door that had been blasted and shattered into thousands of pieces. 

“Someone went out the back door here,” the tech said. “We also found some blood on the steps going down into the yard.”

Benson and Stabler went over and looked at the steps going down into the yard. Fragments and chards of glass were scattered all over the steps and landing, with a couple of drops of blood.

"So Trevor must have been running out the door when our man shot at him,” Stabler said. “A couple of pieces of glass hit him and he gets cut.”

“Or some of the buckshot nicked him up just enough,” Benson said. “He’s bleeding while on the run.”

“I’ll call hospitals in the area,” Cragen said.

The tech added, “We also found the home alarm disabled outside. The lock on the outside looked like it was picked. Looks like he went out the same way he came in.”

“That’s how he got in,” Stabler mused. “He came in with the shotgun, caught the parents and lawyer by surprise. Trevor must have been somewhere else in the house when the shooting started, and somehow got out of the house before the shooter went after him.”

The detectives went out front, the lights still flashing like a beacon to signal everyone in the neighborhood Come on over, we have a triple homicide here for you.

“Okay, here’s the obvious question,” Benson asked. “Who killed the Mannions and their lawyer?”

It was a question they didn’t want to ask, much less answer. And the answer was probably close by.

_______________________________

7:35 A.M.

“I didn’t kill them!” Ron Stuart angrily replied. “I was here all night and I never left!”

The detectives had knocked on the Stuarts door as the sun was rising. Both Ron and his wife Helen were awakened with the news that the Mannions and their attorney had been brutally murdered. In the living room, Stabler asked the question that Mr. Stuart had replied to vehemently.

Stabler next asked, “Do you own a shotgun?”

“I don’t!” he replied again. “If I wanted to kill that rat bastard for raping my daughter, I’d use my bare hands.”

“Detectives, I know you have a job to do,” Helen Stuart said to them, “but my husband didn’t kill them.”

“I’m sorry, but he was an obvious suspect,” Benson said. “And Trevor is still alive, as far as we know.”

“Alive?” asked Ron Stuart.

“He was seen running away from the crime scene,” Stabler replied, “with someone else chasing him.”

“I hope he gets caught. If not by you guys, then whoever killed his parents.” Not the right thing to say, but given what had happened to the Stuarts’ daughter Stabler and Benson let it go.

Holly Stuart came down the stairs and into the living room, dressed in a bathrobe.

“Holly, go back upstairs,” Mr. Stuart said to her.

“Why?” Holly asked back. “What’s going on?”

“Just go!”

“She might as well know,” Benson said. Before Ron Stuart could protest, she said, “Trevor Mannion’s parents and lawyer were murdered earlier this morning.”

“What?” Holly exclaimed.

“Whoever killed them missed Trevor,” her father said.

The look on Holly’s face was a mix of confusion and horror. 

“Do they know who did it?” she asked.

“They thought I did,” Ron Stuart answered.

It was obvious to Benson and Stabler that Ron Stuart did not kill the Mannions and their attorney. He would have been happily telling the detectives that he had committed the murders and ready to be arrested if that was the case.

“We’ll keep looking for him,” Stabler said. “It could be a longshot, but if he tries to contact in you any way, call us.”

“You think he would do such a thing?” Helen Stuart asked.

“It’s unlikely, but it’s possible,” Stabler said back. 

The detectives said goodbye and left the Stuart house.

“Do you really think Trevor Mannion will try to get in touch with Holly?” Benson asked as they headed back to their unmarked car.

“I doubt it,” Stabler replied. “But we better find Trevor before our shooter does.”


	8. Chapter 8

Two uniformed officers in a cruiser were left outside the Stuart residence in case Trevor Mannion decided to show up. Benson and Stabler then drove around the area, looking around for Trevor Mannion. 

They drove over to St. Matthew’s High School and continued their search there. Students had already heard about the shooting at the Mannions house. Upon seeing Benson and Stabler in their school again, they had mixed feelings, since Trevor had been arrested by them in front of the student body. They knew the detectives wanted to find Trevor alive, if only to make sure he was put behind bars.

The detectives informed Principal Collier of what had transpired the night before. Collier assured them that Trevor Mannion was not hiding in plain sight within the walls of St. Matthews.

Stabler and Benson exited the principal’s office. Some students who walking between classes did their best to ignore them. Most of them anyway.

“Excuse me, detectives?” someone said to them. They turned to see who was calling them. It was Kimberly Thornton.

“Hi Kimberly,” Benson said.

“Is it true about Trevor’s parents?”

“Yes,” Benson replied. “They’re both dead. Their lawyer too.”

“What about Trevor?”

“We’re looking for him,” Stabler replied.

Kimberly exclaimed “He wasn’t there?”

“We really can’t discuss this case now,” Stabler said. “All we can say we is that we need to find Trevor before he gets hurt.”

“You don’t think he really did this?”

“No, but like I said, we need to find him.”

There was a look of concern on Kimberly’s face. Maybe too much, for someone who looked like she needed to know what was going on.

“If you hear from him,” Benson said to her, “let us know, so we can keep him safe.”

Kimberly just nodded. She turned around and left.

“Did you get the feeling that she knew more than what she was telling us?” Stabler asked his partner.

“I got that feeling too,” Benson said. “But it’s nothing we can act upon.”

“I guess we have to wait until Trevor shows up.”

“I just hope it’s not at the coroner’s office.”

They stepped outside of the school when they heard someone call out to them again. They turned around to see it was Jeff Wallace.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “I heard about what happened.”

“What did you hear?” Benson asked.

“Both of Trevor’s parents are dead. So is his lawyer.”

Stabler looked at Jeff. There seemed to be a slight bruise on his cheek.

“What happened?” he asked, gesturing toward the bruise.

“Oh, this?” Jeff replied. “Little disagreement, that’s all. It was about me being friends with Holly. They don’t like me being around her.”

Benson said, “'They' being Jeff’s friends.”

“They don’t like me feeling sorry for her,” he said. “Plus I think Trevor is a jerk for what he did, which he is.” Jeff shook his head. “It’s as though only certain people can have feelings for Holly and nobody else.”

“I don’t know what to say about that,” Stabler said. “But we have to find Trevor before something happens to him.”

“I understand,” Jeff said. He turned around and headed back inside. As he did, Jeff seemed to wince as if something was hurting him. He favored his right shoulder a little bit as the doors closed behind him. 

_______________________________________________

 

With nothing left to do but wait for Trevor to be spotted, the detective went back to the SVU headquarters.

A preliminary autopsy report had come in from Dr. Warner’s office. According to the report, all three murder victims had died from shotgun wounds. John Mannion took a round in his chest, as did his wife Laura. The buckshot in both shells had pierced the arteries to their hearts, killing them within seconds. Walter Latham, Esquire, took a round in the midsection, but did not die right away. The second blast, point blank into the base of his neck while he was on the ground as Warner pointed out at the crime scene, had finished him off.

There was also a preliminary report from the forensic investigators showed some fingerprints that did not belong to the victims, or Trevor Mannion. One was on the railing, two were on the knob of the backdoor. There was no match to any prints in AFIS (American Fingerprint Identification System).

The detectives were at their desks as they finished going over the reports.

“So how did this play out?” Benson asked. “Why did our shooter go after Trevor in the first place?”

“It has to be the trial,” Stabler replied. “Someone didn’t like the way it was going. Maybe someone decided not to leave it to a jury to decide Trevor Mannion’s fate.”

“Like a rape victim.”

“But Holly is the only one screamed rape and all the other girls had sex with him. At least they believed they were having sex.”

“And we know neither of Holly’s parents didn’t kill the Mannions, because neither one of them owns a gun of any kind.”

“Did you notice any cuts on Holly?” asked Stabler.

“No, but she was wearing a bathrobe when she saw her,” Benson said.

“I doubt she could’ve done it,” Stabler said. “If she used a shotgun, the recoil would’ve injured her. She doesn’t look like she could have been able to handle one.”

“Maybe Jeff did,” Benson said. “You noticed he favored his right shoulder a bit.”

“He said he had a little disagreement with some of Jeff’s friends,” Stabler said. “That explains the bruise on his face but maybe not the shoulder. Maybe we should check if someone in his family owns a shotgun.”

________________________________________________________

7:45 P.M.

It was nearly dusk when a sector car made a radio call to SVU headquarters. There had been reports of gunshots near Riverside Park around 88th Avenue. Uniformed officers responded to the call. Five minutes later, Benson and Stabler were called to the scene.

Benson and Stabler quickly got into an unmarked car and headed off to the location, with Stabler driving. 

“87th Avenue?” Benson said. “That’s close to where the Stuarts live.”

“Maybe he was trying to get to Holly,” Stabler said as he drove.

The detectives arrived at the scene, where 88th Avenue met up with Riverside Park. Three police cars, their sirens flashing, were there but not at the park. They were congregated at a warehouse opposite the park. An ambulance came rushing up to the scene as Benson and Stabler went over to the scene.

A uniformed officer informed the detectives of what had happened.

“Me and my partner arrived here to respond to a shots fired call. After we got out, we heard one blast from a shotgun. We went inside and found a guy, hit in the midsection by a shot.”

“Did he say anything?” Benson asked. 

“He was writhing in pain when we got to him. Didn’t say anything we could understand. He matched the description of the guy you were looking for.”

Benson and Stabler went inside the warehouse. Paramedics were over him, trying to staunch the bleeding from his midsection where he was shot with pressure bandages.

It was Trevor Mannion.

“Is he any condition to talk?” Stabler asked.

One of the paramedics responded, “If we don’t get him to a hospital, he won’t be saying anything at all.”

“How bad is he?”

“Shotgun blast to his gut. Not good.”

The paramedics quickly but carefully placed Trevor on the gurney and took him back to their ambulance. They said they would be taking him to the Mount Sinai emergency room in Morningside Heights.

“Do you think he’ll make it?” Benson asked.

“Part of me says he doesn’t,” Stabler said, “part of me says he does. Either way, we’re going to have to find out who shot him.”


	9. Chapter 9

APRIL 28  
MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL  
EMERGENCY ROOM  
8:55 P.M.

The head ER doctor was an Indian named Kanall. He came out of the surgery room, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“We have him stabilized,” Dr. Kanall said to Benson and Stabler, “but it’s still too early to tell. We took a lot of buckshot out of him.”

“He can’t talk right now?” Stabler asked.

“Not for a while,” Dr. Kanall said. “It’s touch and go. He lost a lot of blood, and he’s being held together by a bunch of thread and hope. I don’t know how close he was to your shooter, but any closer, he’d be in the morgue.”

“Anything else you can tell us?” Benson asked.

“We pulled a piece of glass from his left shoulder,” Dr. Kanall replied. “It looked like it was there for a day or so. He also had been taped up around his arm on the same side.”

“Sounds like he was running from our shooter at his house,” Benson said.

“Sounds like someone else taped him up,” Stabler added.

“I’d give you those bandages, but we threw them away when we were patching him up,” the doctor said. 

“That’s okay,” Stabler groused. “Just let us know if anything changes.”

Kanall said, “I’ll let you know when he wakes up. If he wakes up.”

Benson and Stabler walked out of the hospital. Now it was a waiting game.

 

APRIL 30

Forty-eight hours passed. A forensic report came to the detectives on the crime scene at the Riverside Park warehouse. Some buckshot was found at the scene, probably from the discharge of the shotgun. 

There were fingerprints on the main door of the warehouse, and they matched those found at the Mannion crime scene but nothing to match them against in AFIS.  
Other than that, the scene was proverbially clean.

Benson called Mount Sinai Hospital. Trevor Mannion was still unconscious but stable.

With the case at a standstill, all the detectives could do wait. 

Benson and Stabler finished up the paperwork on other cases they had worked on. It was close to five o’clock when Dr. Kanall from Mount Sinai called. Trevor Mannion had regained consciousness. 

Benson and Stabler got to Mount Sinai Hospital as soon as they could and went right to Trevor Mannion’s room. Dr. Kanall was there as well.

“He’s awake but kind of groggy,” the doctor said.

“We’ll try to be fast as we can,” Stabler said.

Mannion was in his hospital bed, tubes going into his arm for IV fluids and in his nose to help him breathe. A pressure bandage was over his midsection where he had been hit by the shotgun blast. Dr. Kanall was right about the shotgun blast that could’ve killed him had it been at closer range. Had the blast hit a few inches higher around his heart, Mannion would’ve been fitted for a pine box.

Benson and Stabler went to his bedside. Trevor eyed them and let out a slight groan, either out of pain or disgust.

“How are you feeling Trevor?” Benson asked.

Trevor grumbled. He replied slowly, “I’ve had….better days.”

Stabler asked, “So, who shot you?”

Trevor replied with an inaudible mumble.

“Who?” Stabler asked again.

Trevor replied, “No.”

Stabler asked, “No, as in you don’t know who shot you, or no, you don’t want to tell us?”

Trevor didn’t reply at all.

“Look, you’re going to jail for raping Holly,” Benson said. “Or do you want this guy to come at you again?”

There was no answer from Trevor. He looked as if he was trying to think of a smart-ass response for an answer.

“Jail or the morgue,” Stabler said. “Take your pick.”

Trevor finally replied, “I was….coming down the stairs….when he started….he shot my parents. He shot at me…..when I ran. I just kept going.”

“Who?” demanded Stabler.

“I went to her place,” Trevor said.

“Who? Holly’s?” asked Benson.

“Kimberly’s,” Trevor replied. “I hid at her place. She helped me….taped me up. Then I left.”

“Who shot you?” Stabler asked again.

“He did.”

“Who?”

Trevor didn’t answer right away. But Stabler knew what he was going to say.

“Jeff….Jeff Wallace.”

Stabler and Benson looked at each other.

“He killed…my parents,” Trevor said. “Heard him say….she’s not…didn’t lie.” He paused, caught his breath, then added, “He said….he loved her.”

Benson looked at Stabler. “Maybe that’s why he did it. Jeff’s in love with Holly.”

Stabler said, “Hell of a way to show it.”

___________________________________________

 

It was close to seven o’clock when the detectives headed to Jeff Wallace’s home, a brownstone that was six blocks down from the Stuarts home, on 82nd Avenue. They knocked on the door. No answer. There were no lights on inside the house.

“Where could they be?” Benson asked as they headed back to their car.

“Excuse me!” someone called out. Benson and Stabler looked at who was calling them. A balding man in his fifties was coming up to them. “Are you looking for the Wallaces?”

“We are,” Stabler replied. “Do you know where they are?”

“I’m their neighbor, Nick Castorelli,” he said. “They told me they would be visiting some friends of theirs. I think it was the Stuarts.”

“Thank you!” Benson said. Soon, they headed uptown towards the Stuart residence on 88th.

Once there, they parked the car and went up to the Stuarts’ brownstone. 

Benson’s knocking was quickly answered by Ron Stuart. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“Are Jeff Wallace’s parents here?” Stabler asked.

“They are. What is this about?”

“May we come in?” Stabler asked. Stuart nodded, and the detectives entered. Inside the living room, was the Wallaces. The father was dark haired, with a touch of gray on the sides; the mother was also dark haired as well. Both had the looks of worry on their faces. Helen Stuart was with them.

“What is this about?” Ron Stuart asked.

“We’re looking for Jeff Wallace,” Benson replied. “We were hoping he was here with you.”

“We thought he might be here,” Mrs. Wallace said. “He came after school then went back out at four o’clock. We haven’t seen him since. Why do you ask?”

“You know that Trevor Mannion was shot the day before yesterday?” Stabler said.

“We know,” Mr. Stuart said. 

“He woke up and said your son Jeff was the one who shot him.”

Mrs. Wallace gasped in horror. The look on Mr. Wallace’s face went from worried concern to outright shock.

“Is he sure?” Mr. Wallace asked.

“The bastard’s lying,” Mr. Stuart quickly interjected.

Stabler asked, “Mr. Wallace, do you own a shotgun?”

Mr. Wallace replied, “Yes and it’s registered – “ He stopped, realizing the horrifying truth. “I showed my son how to use it a few years ago,” he finished in a somewhat scared voice.

“It looks like he used your shotgun on the Mannion family as well,” Stabler added.

The Wallaces sat down on the sofa, slowly realizing their son may have committed three murders and almost a fourth.

“You don’t know where your son is?” Benson asked.

“We thought he might be here with Holly,” Mrs. Wallace replied.

“What about Jeff?” Everyone in the living room looked over to the entrance. Holly had just come into the room.

“Has Jeff tried to contact you?” Benson asked her.

“No,” Holly replied. “Why?”

“We have reason to believe that Jeff murdered Trevor’s family and lawyer, and he almost killed Trevor the other day,” Stabler said.

Holly shook her head in disbelief. “Why would he do that?”

Benson replied, “Because, apparently, he’s in love with you.”

“No, he’s not,” she quickly countered.

“Yes, he is!” Helen Stuart insisted.

“Mom, don’t say that!”

“NO! He is in love with you!” Helen Stuart said back defiantly. “He always has been! I can see it. I’ve always seen it! Everyone else sees it! Everyone but you!”

“Mom, please!”

“Jeff had always been in love with you!” Helen insisted. “Why can’t you see that?”

Benson said, “Maybe Holly knows it but won’t admit it.”

“Stop it!” Holly cried out.

“Why does it bother you so much?” Helen Stuart demanded. She walked up to her daughter. “Can’t you see he cares about you?” She then said, “Did your friends force you into that date with Trevor?”

“NO!” insisted Holly.

“Then why did you turn Jeff down?”

“Because I know he’s in love with me!” Holly finally said. “I’ve always known!” She paused, about to break into tears. “I know he’s in love with me! That’s why I turned him down!”

“What does that mean?” Mrs. Wallace asked.

“I know what he feels about me,” Holly said, trying to hold back tears. “I just don’t feel the same way about him.”

“Does he know that?” Stabler asked.

“I just thought if I turned him down,” Holly said, “that would be the end of it. That’s why I said no to him and yes to Trevor.”

Helen Stuart looked at her daughter with incredulousness. “Do you know how that sounds!? You should have just said no to Trevor.”

“Even if I said no to Trevor,” Holly cried, “I’d still tell Jeff no. I’m not in love with him!”

“And what about Trevor?” 

“What about him?!” Holly exclaimed. 

Mrs. Stuart said, “Had you just gone out with Jeff instead of Trevor, none of this – “

“You don’t think I know that!” Holly exclaimed. “I didn’t want to go out with Jeff! I wanted to go out with Trevor! I didn’t know he was going to….” She finally broke down and started crying uncontrollably, realizing the sad truth of what her mother was saying. 

Benson and Stabler recognized the situation. A girl went on a date with the hottest guy in school instead of the nicest boy her parents wanted her to date. Because of that choice, Holly’s life was irrevocably changed forever, not to mention that three people were dead, and a fourth was in the hospital.

“What now?” Mr. Wallace asked.

“We have to find your son before anything else happens,” Stabler replied.

There was the ringing of a cell phone breaking up the sound of Holly’s tears. Holly reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her cell phone, and looked at the phone number, while trying to compose herself.

“Who is it?” Benson asked her.

Holly looked at the detectives. She was slowly turning pale and frightened.

She replied, “It’s Jeff.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Answer the phone,” Benson said.

“I can’t,” Holly said back, her voice quivering with doubt.

“Answer the phone,” Stabler said. “We have to find him before he gets into any more trouble.”

“For God’s sake, answer it!” Helen Stuart pleaded.

Holly answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Holly, it’s me. Jeff.”

“Where are you?”

“Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry. Are your parents there?”

“Yes.”

“What about my parents?”

“Jeff, are you outside my house?”

“No. But don’t worry. It’s almost over.”

Stabler broke into the conversation. “Jeff, this is Detective Stabler. We want you to turn yourself in before you get into any more trouble.”

There was a pause on the other end, then Jeff said, “It’s almost over.”

“What do you mean ‘almost over’?” Stabler asked. “We know you killed Trevor Mannion’s parents and attorney. Trevor identified you as the one who shot him.”

Silence, then Jeff exclaimed “He’s alive?!”

“He’s alive,” Stabler repeated. There was another pause.

“Please, let me do this,” Jeff said. He then said, “I wish this never happened. Holly, I wish you had taken me instead of him.” Another pause, then he said, “I love you Holly.” The line went dead.

“What did he mean by ‘it’s almost over’?” Ron Stuart asked.

“There’s someone else he’s planning on killing out of revenge,” Benson said. 

“But who?” Mrs. Wallace asked.

Stabler said, “Kimberly Thornton.”

Everyone looked at Stabler.

He continued, “A few days ago in the courthouse, Jeff said it was her fault that Holly got raped, and that Kimberly forced her into dating Trevor. He thinks she told Trevor to rape Holly. He’s blaming her for everything.”

“You have to stop him!” Mrs. Wallace said.

“We’ll do our best,” Stabler said. “But if he forces us to, we’ll have to – “

“Please, just keep him alive!”

Benson got on the radio and ordered a police cruiser to station themselves outside the Stuarts home. The detectives told the Stuarts and the Wallaces to stay inside the house until they had Jeff in custody. Holly gave Benson and Stabler the address for Kimberly, and were soon on their way to the Thornton residence near Central Park West.

It was close to eight o’clock when they arrived at the Thornton residence, a brownstone facing Central Park. They had a police cruiser meet them on the street, its lights flashing but siren off.

Benson and Stabler quickly went up to the front door and knocked. 

The door opened. “Yes?” a bespectacled silver haired man asked.

“Mr. Thornton?” Benson asked back, as she and Stabler showed their badges.

“I’m William Thornton,” he replied. “What is this all about?”

“We need to speak with your daughter Kimberly,” Stabler said. 

“What’s going on?” a blonde haired woman asked, coming to the door. 

“And you are?”

“I’m Kimberly’s mother, Joanne Thornton. What's going on?”

“We have reason to believe her life is in danger,” Benson said. 

“Kimberly’s in trouble? What kind of trouble?”

“Do you know where she is?” Stabler asked.

“No,” Mr. Thornton said.

“Can you call her, please?” Benson asked. 

The Thorntons let the detectives inside the house. William Thornton got on his cell phone to call his daughter.

“Your daughter’s been in trouble before?” Benson asked Mrs. Thornton.

“Just the usual teenage stuff,” Mrs. Thornton replied. “Coming back late after curfew, getting a little drunk. Why? What did she do?”

“She gave bad advice to a friend, and her friend got raped because of it.”

“Is this about that rape trial with her friend?”

“It is. She also helped him out after his parents got murdered. She hid him here. Did you know that?”

Mrs. Thornton gasped. Obviously not.

Mr. Thornton said to Stabler, “I got her on the phone.” He put the phone on speaker, then said into it, “Kimberly, where are you?”

“I’m on way back from Laura’s. I’m in the Park. I can almost see the house.”

Stabler said into the phone, “This is Detective Stabler with the police. We need you to come home right away!”

“Why? What for?”

“It’s Jeff Wallace. He shot Trevor Mannion a couple of days ago and – “

There was a loud blast, followed by a scream.

“Kimberly!” her father shouted. 

Stabler told his partner, “’Liv, she’s in the park! Wallace found her!” He said to the Thorntons, “Stay here!”

Both detectives ran out the door, as Benson called for backup. “We have shots fired in Central Park, west side, between 75th and 74th, requesting backup,” she said into her radio, as she and Stabler made it across the street into Central Park.

Once on the other side of the street, a male jogger, about 30 years old, came running up to the detectives. Stabler stopped him. “Did you hear a shot gun blast?” he asked the jogger.

“Hear it? I saw it!” the jogger exclaimed. “He came out of the trees at this girl. The girl saw him, and she started screaming when he started shooting. She went running off and he went after her.”

“Which way?” Benson asked. The jogger pointed in the northeast direction, towards the lake.

Police cruisers pulled up along the street, and uniformed officers went over to the detectives.

“We have a seventeen year old white male, armed with a shotgun,” Stabler said to them. “He’s chasing a seventeen year white female. Priority is the girls’ safety. Suspect is headed towards the lake.”

The officers and the detectives hurriedly headed off in the direction of the lake, their service weapons drawn. The sky was getting darker, as night began to fall on New York. Central Park was beginning to darken, a half moon providing the only light in the sky.

There was another blast, louder than first heard.

“He’s close by,” Benson said.

“Everyone spread out,” Stabler ordered. 

The cops went through a grove of trees, when they heard another scream. They emerged from the grove, and saw them in the clearing, thirty feet ahead.

Kimberly Thornton was on the ground, trying to back away. Jeff Wallace was approaching her, fifteen feet away and closing, the shot gun pointed right at her.

“Jeff! Police! Put it down!” Stabler shouted, pointing his service weapon at him. “It’s over!”

Jeff stopped and looked at the policemen, as they began to position themselves around him to prevent an escape. He kept the shotgun trained on Kimberly.

“No!” he shouted back. “She has to pay for this!”

“Shoot him!” Kimberly screamed.

“SHUT UP!” Jeff snapped at Kimberly. “This is all your damn fault! Holly got raped because of you!”

“It’s not her fault!” Benson said, as the police inched closer. “She didn’t know Trevor was going to do that!”

“Yes, she did!” Jeff yelled back. “She didn’t want me near Holly! None of them did! They thought I wasn’t good enough!”

“She didn’t want you!” Kimberly said.

“That’s because you forced her to date Trevor and look what he did!” Jeff yelled. “I love her! I wouldn’t have raped her! I love her! And she would’ve fallen in love with me!”

"He’s crazy! Just shoot him already!”

“Jeff, put the shotgun down,” Stabler ordered, “or we’ll shoot you!”

“She has to pay for what she did!” Jeff said back. The shotgun was primed to go off. “Do you know what she said to Holly in the courthouse that day? She said, ‘He’s cute. Get over it’!”

“You kill Kimberly, then Trevor wins!” Benson said. “Surrender, and you can tell Holly you love her.”

Jeff still had the shotgun pointed at Kimberly. One wrong twitch and the police were going to bring this fairy tale gone wrong to a violent end. Jeff knew either way, there was going to be no happy ending here in Central Park.

“There’s nothing wrong for caring or being there for Holly,” Benson said, “but this isn’t the way. Just put the gun down.”

Jeff was on the verge of breaking down in the tears. Killing Kimberly would not change what happened to Holly. He pointed the shotgun away from Kimberly then dropped it. He stepped away from it and raised his arms in surrender, as the police closed in on him, their weapons still pointed at him.

“Get on the ground,” Stabler ordered. Jeff went down on both knees, his arms still raised. Stabler holstered his weapon, then took out his handcuffs. He handcuffed Jeff, as he read him his Miranda rights. Benson helped Kimberly off the ground.

“She still doesn’t want him,” Kimberly said.

“Be quiet,” warned Benson.

“I didn’t force her to date Trevor!” she insisted.

Benson said, “We’re not the ones you have to convince.”


	11. Chapter 11

MAY 4  
MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL

After his arrest in Central Park, Jeff Wallace had been taken into custody. He had been arraigned in court, charged with three counts of second degree murder, and one count of attempted murder. He was sitting in Rikers Island, awaiting trial. That was one week ago.

ADA Casey Novak was looking to bring a quick resolution to the whole case. The rape of a teenaged girl had led to the brutal murders of three people, an attempt on a fourth, and the arrest of a lovesick teenaged boy.

Novak was in the hospital room of Trevor Mannion at Mount Sinai Hospital. Mannion was healing slowly but surely. It would be at least another week before he would be out of the hospital. He also had a new lawyer representing him, John Kimbrough. The new attorney did not use the word ‘esquire’ in his title.

“Considering what my client had gone through,” Kimbrough said, “I think a little leniency should be in order.”

“Leniency?” questioned Novak. “He raped a classmate.”

“His parents were murdered, and he was almost killed himself!”

“I’ve taken that into consideration,” Novak said. “But he still raped a teenaged girl, his date. On Valentines’ Day, no less.”

Kimbrough paused before asking, “What are you offering?”

“Fifteen to twenty five, first degree rape,” Novak said. “If he gets paroled after fifteen, he has to register as a sex offender for at least five years.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Take it or leave it.”

Kimbrough looked at his client. Trevor was laying there, awake, but quiet throughout the meeting. The look on his face was of a defiant defeat. He slowly nodded at his lawyer.

“You’ll have the paperwork by the end of the week,” Kimbrough said.

Novak said, “We’re done here.”

“But what about the guy who shot my client?”

“That’s next on my to do list.”

Novak headed for the door. Then Trevor slowly said, “She wanted me.”

Novak stopped and turned around to face Trevor. “What?”

“She wanted me,” he repeated. “She wanted me, not him. She chose me.”

“And did she choose to get raped too?”

Trevor stared defiantly at Novak. 

“She wanted me,” he repeated.

There was no denying it. Holly did choose Trevor over Jeff. Whether it was of her own free will, or if Kimberly really did pressure her, Holly chose Trevor.

Just like Jeff chose to shoot Trevor and his parents.

_________________________________________________

Jeff Wallace sat there in the conference room of the district attorney’s office. He was there with his parents and their lawyer, Alvin Tauber. 

The lawyers were talking about a plea deal. Though a conviction was sure if it went to trial, a jury might take sympathy with Jeff and acquit him. Novak didn’t want to run that risk, no matter how miniscule the chance was.

“There’s no two ways about it,” Novak said to Tauber. “He killed three people in cold blood.”

“He was emotionally distraught,” Tauber countered. “He wasn’t thinking straight. He got turned down for a date, and the jerk ended up raping her.”

“Emotionally distraught teens find other outlets. They don’t pick up shotguns and start blasting away.”

“We just want an understanding when you think about sentencing.”

“Understand this,” Novak said. “Three counts of second-degree murder. Take a plea now, it’s twenty to life. We go to trial, and he gets convicted, it’s twenty-five to life, back to back to back.”

Jeff quietly but suddenly said, “I’ll take it.”

“Jeff! No!” his mother exclaimed.

“I don’t want to put her through another trial,” Jeff said.

“Hold up,” Tauber said. He looked at Novak. “Can you make it concurrent sentences?”

Novak looked at Jeff Wallace. He was saddened, defeated and he knew it. 

She said, “Twenty to life, concurrent, it is. But he allocutes in open court.”

“Does this include the attempt on Trevor Mannion?”

“It will.”

Jeff’s parents realized that this will be one of the last moments they would see their son for the next twenty years, at least. 

Jeff said, “Make sure Kim is there.”

“Why?” Novak asked.

“This was all her fault.”

“She didn’t know.”

“She told Holly to pick Trevor over me,” Jeff said. “I wouldn’t have….done that to her.”

“That’s it,” Tauber said. “My client will allocute.”

Novak nodded. The Wallaces and their lawyer left the conference room, as she pondered the case. She had been told by Benson of the exchange between Holly and her mother before Jeff Wallace’s arrest. Had Holly gone out with Jeff, none of this would’ve happened, and three people would still be alive. 

______________________________________________

MAY 6  
SUPREME COURT, PART 45  
JEFF WALLACE’S ALLOCUTION

 

Jeff Wallace stood up at the defendant’s table and told the court what he did the night of April 24 to the parents and lawyer of Trevor Mannion.

He had taken his father’s shotgun that night, tucking it under a long coat to carry it, and went to the Mannions’ brownstone. He cut the alarm at the backdoor, broke enough of the window on the door to get his hand inside to turn the knob, and entered. He surprised the Mannions and Latham in the living room, as they were discussing the case.

Latham tried to bargain with Jeff, but Jeff, emotionally distraught at how everyone was treating Holly after her attack, lost it. He shot gunned all three of them, just as Trevor was coming down the stairs. He shot Latham a second time before going after Trevor. He fired the shotgun at Trevor just as he was running out the back door, shattering the rest of the glass on the window.

The charge of attempted murder was also included in the plea, serving that concurrently with the other three murder charges.

In the gallery of the courtroom, were detectives Benson and Stabler. Holly and her parents were there as well. So was Kimberly Thornton, seated far enough away from the Stuarts, along with her father.

“I’m sorry I committed these murders,” Jeff Wallace said. “I just wanted to go out on a date with a girl I care about, deeply. But one person turned everything against me and – “

Kimberly Thornton stood up and exclaimed, “This isn’t my fault! I didn’t know what Trevor was going to do!”

The judge banged the gavel. “Young woman, sit down!” she ordered.

Kimberly looked at the judge. “This isn’t my fault!”

“Sit down!” The judge ordered again. This time, Kimberly sat down.

Jeff finished his allocution and sat down next to his attorney. ADA Novak stood up.

“The state is satisfied with the defendant’s statements to the court,” she said to the judge.

The judge pronounced sentence. Jeff Wallace would be sentenced on three counts of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He would serve all counts concurrently for twenty years at the state penitentiary in Ossening before he would be eligible for parole.

With that, the judge banged the gavel. Court was adjourned.

Jeff said goodbye to his parents, hugging them before the bailiff would lead him away to a bus for Ossening. He saw Holly get up with her parents.

“Holly,” he called out. She stopped and looked over at him. “It’s over now.” She tried to walk away but then he said, “I love you Holly.”

Holly stopped and looked at Jeff as the bailiff led him away. Benson and Stabler looked at her. Holly finally seemed to realize how much Jeff really cared for her, only too little, too late.

Out in the hallway, Holly and her parents began to walk away for the main exit. Kimberly came out of the courtroom and hurried towards her friend.

“Holly!” she called out as she neared them. “Holly!”

Mrs. Stuart got between Holly and Kimberly. She gave Kimberly an angry stare that would’ve stopped a stampeding herd of buffalo. 

“You,” she said sharply, “stay the hell away from my daughter.” 

With that, Holly’s parents led her away from Kimberly.

Benson, Stabler, and Novak saw what had just transpired. Kimberly looked over to them, and walked up to them.

“This isn’t my fault!” she repeated to them.

“We believe you on that,” Stabler said.

“But you told Holly to get over it because Trevor was cute,” Benson added. “What kind of a friend are you to say that, especially after what happened to her.”

Kimberly just looked at them, trying to think of something to justify that comment. She couldn’t. She just turned and walked away.

Outside on the courthouse steps, the Stuarts were being interviewed by a horde of media, television and print reporters. Benson, Stabler, and Novak watched, as the Stuarts held court.

“We believe that justice has been served,” Mr. Stuart addressed. “The young man who did this to our daughter will serve time as a reminder of his actions, and that they have consequences. That’s all.” The Stuarts walked past the reporters.

But the reporters weren’t done. One of them spotted Kimberly Thornton walking down the steps, and quickly went over to her. Whatever question he asked her, Kimberly didn’t want to answer. She tried to push past him, but it was too late. More reporters came over to her, trying to get a quote from her. 

“All Holly wanted was a Prince Charming to take her to a dance and sweep her off her feet,” Benson said.

“Jeff wanted to be her Prince Charming,” Stabler said.

“Some fairy tale,” Novak added.

They all watched as the reporters amassed around Kimberly, and the Stuarts walked away, holding their daughter close.

Stabler concluded, “Well, at least they got the happy ending.”


End file.
